Quick links

Madness to help close BBC Television Centre with live gig

The ska veterans will perform an hour-long concert in front of TVC next month as the BBC bid farewell to the iconic West London building

Comments

Written By

Tom Cole

1:53 PM, 27 February 2013

Ska veterans Madness will help the BBC mark its exit from Television Centre next month by performing an hour-long concert in front of the iconic West London landmark.

The gig will be broadcast on BBC4 in March ahead of a brand-new two-hour documentary about TVC entitled Goodbye Television Centre, in which some of the Corporation's biggest stars will say their last goodbyes to the old building.

As well as new material, Madness will be performing staples from their live set like One Step Beyond, I Never Knew Your Name, Baggy Trousers and Our House at the show.

Discussing the gig, Madness said: "We’ve played at some exciting places in London lately but the closing of BBC TV Centre... well... that is close to our hearts, as a band we grew up there, those walls have plenty of Madness tales to tell, a sad day... the end of an era.... oh, but what a celebration!

“We're honoured to be the band the Beeb have chosen for this fond farewell."

BBC4’s controller Richard Klein added: “I can think of no better band than Madness to help celebrate a golden age of television coming out of the BBC’s Television Centre, and I am really pleased that one of Britain’s finest groups has agreed to come along and help BBC Four celebrate in fine style. Madness, as always, are one step beyond!”

Madness, who formed in London in 1976, are no strangers to performing gigs at prestigious places, having last summer performed on the roof of Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Watch the lads performing Our House at the Jubilee below: